The Valley Green Journal is donating this website page for a group of citizens who are working to
promote the good things happening in our city of Claremont NH, while defeating schemes that are harmful to our environment, public health and quality of life.

Claremont NH and areas surrounding are being
threatened by a proposed construction and demolition (C&D) debris facility at Claremont Junction!

The next hearing was to be 7 pm, Monday, April 6, 2020

held by the Claremont Zoning Board.

The hearing has been cancelled due to the corona virus situation.

Please check back for information on rescheduling.

Public hearings were held in 2019 by the Claremont Planning Board, and the applicants failed to adequately address citizen concerns. It is very important that many citizens of Claremont and the
surrounding area attend. Come and be heard, or just come!

Letter from Claremont Dept. of Public WorksA DPW official describes major concerns of expense to the city of Claremont for road maintenance should 50-60 trucks per day, loaded with C&D debris be traveling to Claremont.Claremont DPW letter .pdfAdobe Acrobat document [117.0 KB]

Mount Ascutney Regional Subcommittee letterThe Mount Ascutney Regional Subcommittee(MARS) has written a letter describing likely negative impacts to the Connecticut River from C&D materials at the proposed site at Claremont Junction and while in transit by truck or rail.letter from Mt. Ascutney Regional Subcom[...]Adobe Acrobat document [191.6 KB]

John Tuthill's letter to the editor explaining more details, why the proposal is at fault.John explains why C&D disposal is NOT "recycling." as claimed by the applicant.j. Tuthill Acuity LTE _ ET Final 2_22_20[...]Microsoft Word document [15.3 KB]

Letter to the editor explaining historical perspectiveThough now in Maine, Jacqueline Elliot lived many years in Claremont and has close family ties. She was active at the time of the notorious Whelebrator incinerator controversy.Jacquelyn Elliot 02.22.20LTE.docxMicrosoft Word document [14.3 KB]

Meg Hurley's letter to the Claremont School Board Feb. 2020Maple Avenue School is just a short distance from the proposed facility, with its hazards that could endanger the students.Meg Hurley Letter to School Board Feb. 2[...]Microsoft Word document [13.1 KB]

Click here to view application for a variance to zoning laws that help protect citizens from pollution and dangerous traffic,The applicant claims they will cause " no detriment to the public" and " the public will likely be benefited by the granting of the Variance, and harmed by its denial."Acuity _ Variance 2-CD expansion.pdfAdobe Acrobat document [1.3 MB]

The Valley Green Journal is donating this space to a grassroots citizens' group, we are calling A BETTER CLAREMONT (ABC). It's as easy as "ABC" to see that our community will
receive very little benefit and much harm from a construction and demolition (C&D) disposal facility proposed by Recycling Services, Inc. This proposed year-round facility, located on a
very small (1.5 acre) site, would process between 300-500 tons of contaminated C&D waste DAILY, trucked in from all over New England, loaded into railroad cars, and shipped out west for disposal.
Compare this to the estimated 6 tons daily presently generated by the City of Claremont. The potential negative impact on residents and businesses is huge. This is a poor plan and is not right for
the citizens who live in this area.

WE DO NOT NEED TO CONSENT TO BEING THE

DUMPING GROUND FOR NEW ENGLAND!

"Citizen engagement is critical in navigating the opportunities and challenges that face any municipality over time"--Mayor
Charlene Lovett

Here is a partial list of the biggest concerns already noted by residents:

3. More than 200 homes and the Maple Avenue School are nearby. Homes could lose value and quality of life will be affected.

4. Ongoing community efforts to attract visitors will be jeopardized. This operation would take place right where the Amtrak Station is located, which has been beautified with a shelter for train
travelers and flower gardens.

5. Impacts on natural areas: A stream and wetland, home to abundant wildlife, is just feet away from the site. Nearby residents have spotted bear, deer, fox, otters, beavers, turtles, and birds.
Wildlife deserve not to live with contamination.

LEAD IS PRESENT IN MUCH DEMOLITION DEBRIS, FROM BUILDINGS PAINTED PREVIOUS TO 1978.

IN NEW HAMPSHIRE, "CLEAN" C&D LEAD LIMIT IS 2.5 TONS OF LEAD PER 10,000 TONS OF DEBRIS.

With a projected total of 156,000 tons of debris to pass through the Claremont facility, this would mean 30 tons of lead coming to Claremont. And that is just the "clean" material.How much of this
lead will end up in our children?

Lead PosterIt takes just a tiny amount of lead to poison a child.Lead Poster.pdfAdobe Acrobat document [1.6 MB]

Claremont Mayor Charlene Lovett has been instrumental in raising awareness of lead poisoning in children. In September 2018 the city was recognized by the New England office of the federal Environmental Protection Agency for its efforts to address the problem of lead exposure in children. The merit
award for children’s health acknowledged the work by Mayor Charlene Lovett to pass legislation signed last February by Gov. Chris Sununu mandating lead screening for all 1- and 2-year-olds and lower
the blood lead level in children that triggers state intervention.

So why is the city even considering an operation that would increase the lead hazards, by concentrating
C&D waste from all over onto a small lot in a heavily populated area?

Mayor Lovett also has written, in her "Mayoral Notes" in the Eagle Times, that "The local housing
market is experiencing a huge increase in real estate transfers." So why allow a decision that has residents very worried that their property values will go down if this facility moves
in?

Volunteers have worked very hard to promote Claremont as a destination for tourists traveling by rail. Claremont Cycle Depot, located in the former train station,
hosts bicycle tours, and many customers including children try out new bikes outdoors. A facility processing tons of debris daily nearby, with up to 50 additional trucks per day, will not
promote Claremont as a place for outdoor recreation!

TRUCK TRAFFIC IS ALREADY HEAVY ON MAPLE AVE. where many nearby residents live. Here is a video of trucks roaring by the Maple Avenue School. A
resident wrote, "These trucks shook my house when passing by!"

Citizens attending meetings in 2019 about how to improve downtown Claremont, expressed much concern about the large amount of truck traffic congesting the streets.

Do Claremont neighborhoods need MORE TRUCKS?

Just how safe is truck traffic in New Hampshire? The following is taken from an article article published in
June 2019 in the Union Leader about the NH state police stopping trucks for safety inspections:

A New Hampshire State Police annual enforcement crackdown took one of every five commercial trucks inspected last week immediately out of service for more than
1,200 violations — ranging from faulty brakes to lumber supports tied on with electrical cords. There were 30, or about 6 percent of drivers, taken off the road for violations including
possessing drugs, operating after suspension or violating restrictions on driving hours.

Here are some of the more extreme violations of safety standards that troopers found:

• Shaky load: The inspection of a 2002 Ford box truck in Windham uncovered a broken leaf spring in the suspension supported by 4-by-4 inch lumber tied onto the truck
with electrical cords and zip ties. The lumber was rubbing against a tire that was flat, officials said. The same truck had inoperative turn signals, a bad parking brake, rotted sections of the frame
and 10 of 14 supports for the cargo box that were defective or missing.

• Oily brakes: In Rochester, Trooper David Skelly stopped a 2002 International truck and the brakes were contaminated with oil from a leaky wheel hub. A nut connecting
steering components on the truck was missing a cotter pin and had been replaced by a bent nail, officials said.

• Busted springs: A 1990 International truck that Trooper Kevin Raymond stopped in Raymond had broken leaf springs on the steering axle and the brake pads were so worn
that the brakes were smoking. In addition, three of four brakes were out of adjustment.

• Arm rubbing tire: Staff Sgt. William Burke stopped a 2000 Mack tractor-trailer foundation and discovered the Pitman arm which connects the steering box to other
steering components was rubbing against the left front tire when the wheel was turned to the right. This inspection also uncovered rust holes in the trailer’s supports and a roll-off container that
was not properly secured.

• Oversized load ban: A traffic tie-up resulted in Sullivan when Trooper Thomas Cote learned the driver of an oversize load had driven through a prohibited
construction zone in town, failing to follow the designated route for that load’s permit. The traffic jam occurred when the truck had to be turned around, officials said.